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Free version vs Paid version
bartlett24
Member Posts: 53 Arc User
I've been playing the free version of STO and I was wondering if there is a difference in the visual quality of the game between the free and paid-for versions.
Let me explain: I sometimes watch youtube videos of people playing STO to get pointers, etc and whenever I do, the visual quality of what their playing is so much better than what I experience when I play i.e. much sharper images, clearer, brighter colors, the works. Think VHS vs DVD
I also thought maybe it was just my computer and system (Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5983, 32 bit) but I've started to wonder if maybe the free version just doesn't have a visual quality as good as the one you get with a subscription.
Does anyone have any insight into this? Do you get a better visual presentation with the paid version? Or is it just my computer/system isn't that good?
Let me explain: I sometimes watch youtube videos of people playing STO to get pointers, etc and whenever I do, the visual quality of what their playing is so much better than what I experience when I play i.e. much sharper images, clearer, brighter colors, the works. Think VHS vs DVD
I also thought maybe it was just my computer and system (Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5983, 32 bit) but I've started to wonder if maybe the free version just doesn't have a visual quality as good as the one you get with a subscription.
Does anyone have any insight into this? Do you get a better visual presentation with the paid version? Or is it just my computer/system isn't that good?
Post edited by bartlett24 on
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I'm not sure to what "paid version" you even are referring to. If its a subscription, then no. If its a Zen ship, then no. If its anything, then no.
Graphics are determined by your settings and the quality of your machine.
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Its just your computer system... The STO Client is the same, regardless if its for a paid 'Gold' account, or a F2P Silver account. And you can log-in to multiple accounts with the same STO Client, regardless of their status...
I call it, the Stoutes paradox.
No, the game content and assets are exactly the same, free or paid.
And even if your computer isn't "good" if you turn up all the settings it should still look as good as anything you see, it will just run like garbage.
And yes, that PC, although within the games minimum specs range, is not now, nor ever was designed for gaming. If you crank the settings to max, you are going to get a slideshow on there.
Word of advice - if you don't need it to be a laptop (for instance, if the things you mainly use that laptop for are non-gaming, for which purposes it will suffice for some years yet), look into building your own system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jDXbYuNf_s
For a good low price guide that's still relevant.
The Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5983 is a pretty old laptop so it is not a surprise STO does not look good. Both CPU and integrated graphics performance has improved a lot since your laptop was new. So even if you get a non gaming laptop with an Intel HD 4400 graphics you are going to see better performance.
Aye, even my Asus Transformer T100 with an Atom CPU and HD4000 graphics plays STO reasonably well on lowered settings.
The youtube videos you see (like from Brent Justice; a.k.a. "The Doctor") STO being played are likely using a high end desktop PC that no laptop can touch.
Yes indeed, but no need to go crazy - STO is a 4+ year old game on a 6+ year old engine.
A high end card from 2012 will play everything maxed at 1080/60 unless you are in one of the poorly optimized zones or have a lot of UI elements turned on - in that case, even dual GTX 970s/980s won't get you a decent consistent framerate.
Edit: To the OP I also just thought of something - STO may not be running at the native resolution of your display - the fuzziness you describe sounds like something you will experience in that scenario - check to make sure STO is running at 1366x768 resolution.
Yeah, but that is so way beyond overkill for STO it's not even funny.
It runs on a Phenom II dual core with SLI 9600 GTs at 1080/60 as long as PhysX is off and you stay away from the DQ and some of the fluidic zones.
I currently use dual GTX 480s and it runs like a charm - except when lots of GUI is present - and even people with cards like dual GTX 970s drop to 19 FPS just opening the rep window.
STO needs, at most, a 560 Ti to run maxed out with 2x AA at 1080/60.
The problem is that the GUI guts framerates like a rabid targ. Whether you run a 7 year old card, or a brand new top-of-the-line Insane-o-GPU.
Edit: Pre-LoR I was able to run it on my old "vanity" rig - an AMD FX60 dual core with 2gb of DDR and SLI'd NVidia 6600 GTs. I was able to pull playable 30+ FPS at 720 most of the time. On 10 year old GPUs. STO does not require a powerhouse PC. The GUI does, but the 3d engine does not. As to why I kept that machine - it cost nearly $3000 when I built it, and I'll be damned if it's ever getting tossed.